Plastic cap having parallel partitions to engage the sides of a nut



Jan. 14, 1958 [1.1. REFRIGERI PLASTIC CAP HAVING PARALLEL PARTITIONS TOENGAGE THE SIDES OF A NUT Filed Jan. 18, 1955 will! INVEIZJTOR 0 fRc rzerz United This invention relates to a plastic cap which can be used tocover any exposed nut and bolt which would otherwise present anunsightly appearance. More particularly, this invention relates to a capfor covering the exposed closet bolts and nuts which are used in toiletfixtures such as Water closet stools, tubs, lavatories, bowls or thelike.

In connection with the latter types of toilet fixtures, it isconventional to employ hollow porcelain (or china) caps which are firstfilled with a suitable cement and then pressed over the exposed closetbolt. However, when the cement has dried, the caps oftentimes becomeloose and are subsequently knocked off during a sweeping or cleaningoperation. in such cases, much labor is required to re-cement thedisplaced cap back into position.

Other caps employed for the same purposes are provided with internalthreading so as to permit them to be screwed in nut-covering relation,onto the exposed bolts. Naturally, this feature of internal threadingwill add substantially to the manufacturing cost of the caps.

My invention overcomes these disadvantages of previous caps of thistype, by providing a cementless and threadless cap of one-piece moldedplastic, whose interior construction, as hereinafter described, permitsit to obtain an adequate frictional gripping engagement with oppositefiat sides of the nut.

Other and further objects and advantageous features of my invention willhereinafter more fullyappear in connection with a detailed descriptionof the drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents a front view of the lowerportion of a conventional toilet bowl showing my novel cap as applied toone of the closet bolts.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of my cap.

Fig. 3 is a section view taken along section line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of my cap.

Fig. 5 is a bottom view of a modified form of my cap.

Fig. 1 shows a closet bowl 1, whose usual base flange 4 is held in placeon the lioor by passage through said base of a plurality of upstandingbolts 2, 2, one of which, uncovered, appears at the left in Fig. 1. Asshown in Fig. 2, each bolt 2 receives on its upper end a hexagonalretaining nut 3 of standard size, as well as a suitable washer 5,interposed between nut 3 and the upper surface of the bowls base 4.

The cup of my invention, for covering this usual boltwasher-nutcombination, is a one-piece molded plastic hollow body 6, here shown asformed with a closed dome top 7. At its open lower end, the hollow capbody 6 is flanged outwardly at 8 to provide an enlarged substantiallyannular terminal surface 9 adapted to seat on the base 4 of the closetbowl 1. This terminal surface 9 surrounds an adjacent internal annulargroove 10 of body 6, which groove 10 is of sufiicient depth and diameterto receive and to encircle with ample radial clearance (see Fig. 2), theouter edge portion of the usual washer 5.

This hollow caps interior construction, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4,consists of two integrally-molded thin walled substantially parallelvertical partitions 11 and 12, extending downwardly from the closed top7. The re spective lower edges 13 and 14 of these partitions are spacedabove the caps outside lower annular surface 9 by approximately thedepth of annular groove 10, so as to S ates Patent 0 avoid anyinterference by washer 5 with the frictional gripping action of thesepartitions on the nut 2.

Such gripping action is obtained, by reason of the fact that thepartitions opposed inner surfaces are spaced apart, as shown in Figs. 2and 3, by an amount approximately equal to the distance between any twoopposite flat faces of the nut 2. Thus it is that when my so-constructedcap is applied, substantially concentrically as shown in Fig. 3, to theusual exposed bolt-washernut combination, the snugness or tightness ofthe two partitions friction fit, against opposite flat faces of nut 2,can always be measurably increased, if need be, by giving the cap aslight horizontal displacement, in a direction paralleling its twointerior partitions 11 and 12. Such displacement is permitted by thecaps interior clearance (Fig. 2) with washer 5; the increased frictionalgripping engagement with nut 2 stems from the fact that the partitions11 and 12 are stifier and less yieldable toward the ends of theelongated space between them, than at the center of said space.

Partitions 11 and 12 appear to be substantially parallel, but actuallyit is preferable that they converge slightly in the downward directionso as to give a better gripping action on the nut 3. Also the loweredges 13 and 14 are bevelled on their inner opposed surfaces as at 15and 16, so as to permit the cap to be slipped over the nut more easily.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, the lower edges 13' and 14' of thepartitions 11' and 12' are not parallel as they are in the modificationshown in the other figures. The inner opposed surfaces of the partitions11' and 12' are serrated as at 20 and 21. The cap of Fig. 5, after it isplaced over the nut 3, will be pushed in a horizontal direction in orderto achieve the proper gripping action.

Whereas my invention has been described with particular reference to thedrawings illustrated herein, other and further modifications apart fromthose shown could be made within the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a covering cap for the exposedretaining nut and bolt of a closet bowl or the like, said cap being aone-piece molded plastic hollow body, closed at the top and open at thebase, and providing interiorly two thin-walled integral substantiallyparallel vertical partitions having their opposed inner surfaces spacedby approximately the distance between any two opposite flat faces ofsaid nut, for gripping said nut frictionally on said two faces when saidcap is in cover ing position, the space between said partitionspermitting said so-positioned cap, by sidewise shifting in parallelismwith said partitions to increase its friction gripping action on saidnut.

2. A covering cap as claimed in claim 1, wherein said hollow bodys openbase extends beyond the lower edges of said partitions, to surround awasher on said bolt beneath said retaining nut, with adequate radialclearance to permit said sidewise shifting movement of said cap tooccur.

References Cited in the file of this patent .UNITED STATES PATENTS1,003,211 Shepard Sept. 12, 1911 1,450,583 Ferry Apr. 3, 1923 2,475,446Cohen July 5, 1949 2,538,483 Summers Ian. 16, 1951 2,574,107 Joy Nov. 6,1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 804,736 Germany Apr. 30, 1951 837,323 Germany Apr.21, 1952 848,605 Germany a- Sept. 4, 1952 1,020,232 France -1 Nov. 12,1952

